List of Polish monarchs

Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes the 9th–14th century or by kings and queens the 11th-18th century The longest-reigning dynasties were the Piasts ca 860–1370 and Jagiellonians 1386–1572

During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe 16th–18th centuries Polish independence ended with the Third Partition of Poland 1795 and was restored at the end of World War I 1918 on a republican basis

Contents

1 Poland in the Early Middle Ages

11 Legendary rulers

12 Semi-legendary rulers of the western Polans Greater Poland

13 Piast Dynasty Dukes of the Polans

2 Kingdom of Poland, 966–1569

21 Piast dukes and kings

22 Fragmentation of the Kingdom of Poland, 1138–1314

221 Piast high dukes

222 Reunification attempts in the Kingdom of Poland 1232–1305

2221 Piast kings

2222 Přemyslid kings

23 Reunited Kingdom of Poland, 1314–1569

231 Piast kings

232 Anjou kings

233 Jagiellonian kings

3 Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1569–1795

4 Duchy of Warsaw, 1807–1815

5 Pretenders to the Polish throne

51 Not recognized Royal elections

6 See also

7 External links

8 Bibliography

9 References

Poland in the Early Middle Ages

See: Poland in the Early Middle Ages

Legendary rulers

Name

Lifespan

Reign start

Reign end

Notes

Family

Image

Lech I

6th century

6th century

6th century

Legendary founder of the Polish nation

Lechites Tribe

Krakus I

Krak

8th century

8th century

8th century

Legendary founder of Kraków

Lechites Tribe

Krakus II

Krak II

8th century

8th century

8th century

Legendary son and successor of Krakus

Lechites Tribe

Lech II

8th century

8th century

8th century

Legendary son of Krakus and successor of Krakus II

Lechites Tribe

Wanda

Wąda

8th century

8th century

8th century

Legendary daughter of Krakus

Lechites Tribe

Semi-legendary rulers of the western Polans Greater Poland

Name

Lifespan

Reign start

Reign end

Notes

Family

Image

Leszko I

Leszek I

Duke

7th / 8th centuries

7th / 8th centuries

7th[4] / 8th centuries

A semi-legendary ruler of the West Slavic "proto-Polish" tribe of Goplans and Polans

Goplans and Polans Tribes

Leszko II

Leszek II

Duke

8th century

8th century

8th century

A semi-legendary ruler of the West Slavic "proto-Polish" tribe of Goplans and Polans

Popielids

Leszko III

Leszek III

Duke

8th century

8th century

8th century

A semi-legendary ruler of the West Slavic "proto-Polish" tribe of Goplans and Polans

Popielids

Popiel I

Duke

8th century

8th century

8th century

A semi-legendary ruler of the West Slavic "proto-Polish" tribe of Goplans and Polans

Popielids

Popiel II

Duke

9th century

9th century

9th century

A semi-legendary ruler of the West Slavic "proto-Polish" tribe of Goplans and Polans

Grandson of Henryk II
Son of Przemysł I and Elisabeth of Wrocław
Also Duke of Poznań, Greater Poland and Pomerania

Piast

Přemyslid kings

Name

Lifespan

Reign start

Reign end

Notes

Family

Image

Wenceslaus II of Bohemia

Polish: Wacław II Czeski

King

1271-09-2727 September 1271 – 21 June 13051305-06-21 aged 33

High Duke: 1291
King: 1300

High Duke: 1300
King: 1305

Son of Ottokar II of Bohemia and Kunigunda of Slavonia
Married Przemysł II's daughter Elisabeth Richeza of Poland
Also King of Bohemia

Přemyslid

Wenceslaus III of Bohemia

Polish: Wacław III Czeski

King[5]

1289-10-066 October 1289 – 4 August 13061306-08-04 aged 16

1305

1306

Son of Wenceslaus II and Judith of Habsburg
Uncrowned
Assassinated

Přemyslid

Reunited Kingdom of Poland, 1314–1569

See also: Reunited Kingdom of Poland

Piast kings

Name

Lifespan

Reign start

Reign end

Notes

Family

Image

Władysław I the Elbow-high

Polish: Władysław I Łokietek

King

1261 – 2 March 1333

1320

1333

Restored
Re-united the Kingdom of Poland

Piast

Casimir III the Great

Polish: Kazimierz III Wielki

King

1310-04-3030 April 1310 – 5 November 13701370-11-05 aged 60

1333

1370

Son of Władysław I the Elbow-high and Jadwiga of KaliszRegarded as one of the greatest Polish monarchs

Piast

Anjou kings

See also: Louis I and Jadwiga of the Anjou dynasty 1370–1399

Name

Lifespan

Reign start

Reign end

Notes

Family

Image

Louis I of Hungary

Polish: Ludwik Węgierski

King

1326-03-055 March 1326 – 10 September 13821382-09-10 aged 56

1370

1382

Son of Charles I of Hungary and Elizabeth of Poland
Nephew of Casimir III
Elected king and crowned on 17 November
Also King of Hungary

Anjou

Jadwiga of Poland

Polish: Jadwiga Andegaweńska

King[6]

1373/4 – 17 July 1399

16 October 1384

17 July 1399

Daughter of Louis I and Elizabeth of Bosnia
Crowned "king", 1384
Reigned jointly with her husband
Władysław II Jagiełło from 1386

Anjou

Jagiellonian kings

See also: History of Poland during the Jagiellonian dynasty

Name

Lifespan

Reign start

Reign end

Notes

Family

Image

Władysław II Jagiełło

King

ca 1351/1362 – 1 June 14341434-06-01

4 March 1386

1 June 1434

Son of Algirdas of Lithuania and Uliana of Tver
Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1377-1434
Reigned jointly with his wife Jadwiga till 1399The longest-reigning King of Poland

Jagiellonian

Władysław III of Poland

Władysław III of Varna, Władysław Warneńczyk

King

1424-10-3131 October 1424 - 10 November 14441444-11-10 aged 20

25 July 1434

10 November 1444

Son of Władysław II Jagiełło and Sophia of Halshany
Also king of Hungary, as Ulászló I
Fell at Battle of Varna, in Bulgaria, hence called "of Varna"

Jagiellonian

Casimir IV Jagiellon

Kazimierz IV Jagiellończyk

King

1427-11-3030 November 1427 - 7 June 14921492-06-07 aged 64

25 June 1447

7 June 1492

Son of Władysław II and Sophia of Halshany
Also Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1440–92
His successful reign ended in the final destruction of the Teutonic Knights

Jagiellonian

John I Albert

Jan I Olbracht

King

1459-12-2727 December 1459 - 17 June 15011501-06-17 aged 41

23 September 1492

16 June 1501

Son of Casimir IV and Elisabeth of Austria

Jagiellonian

Alexander I Jagiellon

Aleksander I Jagiellończyk

King

1461-08-055 August 1461 - 19 August 15061506-08-19 aged 45

12 December 1501

19 August 1506

Son of Casimir IV and Elisabeth of Austria
Also Grand Duke of Lithuania 1492-1506

Jagiellonian

Sigismund I the Old

Zygmunt I Stary

King

1467-01-011 January 1467 – 1 April 15481548-04-01 aged 81

8 December 1506

1 April 1548

Son of Casimir IV and Elisabeth of Austria
Also Grand Duke of Lithuania
Forced Prussian Homage in 1525
Annexed Duchy of Masovia in 1526
Entered alliance with Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor

Jagiellonian

Sigismund II Augustus

Zygmunt II August

King

1520-08-011 August 1520 – 7 July 15721572-07-07 aged 51

1 April 1548

7 July 1572

Son of Sigismund I and Bona Sforza
Also Grand Duke of Lithuania
Replaced the personal union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569

Jagiellonian

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1569–1795

See also: Rzeczpospolita

See also: History of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1569–1648 and History of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1648–1764 and History of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1764–95

Name

Lifespan

Reign start

Reign end

Notes

Family

Image

Henry de Valois

Henryk Walezy

King

1551-09-1919 September 1551 – 2 August 15891589-08-02 aged 37

21 February 1574

12 May 1575

Son of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici
Abandoned the Polish throne three months after his coronation in order to become King of France

Valois

Anna

Anna Jagiellonka

King[7]

1523-10-1818 October 1523 – 9 September 15961596-09-09 aged 72

15 December 1575

12 December 1586

Daughter of Sigismund I and Bona Sforza
Reigned together with her husband Stephen Báthory

Jagiellonian

Stephen Báthory

Stefan Batory

King

1533-09-2727 September 1533 – 12 December 15861586-12-12 aged 53

15 December 1575

12 December 1586

Son of Stephen VIII Báthory and Catherine Telegdi
Prince of Transylvania
Reigned together with his wife Anna

Báthory

Sigismund III

Zygmunt III Waza

King

20 June 1566 – 30 April 16321632-04-30 aged 65

18 September 1587

19 April 1632

Grandson of Sigismund I
Son of John III of Sweden and Catherine Jagiellon
Also King of Sweden 1592-1599, titular King 1599–1632
During his reign Polish troops captured Moscow
Moved capital from Kraków to Warsaw

Vasa

Władysław IV

Władysław IV Waza

King

9 June 1595 – 20 May 16481648-05-20 aged 52

8 November 1632

20 May 1648

Son of Sigismund III and Anne of Austria
Titular Tsar of Russia 1610–1634, titular King of Sweden 1632–1648

Vasa

John II Casimir

Jan II Kazimierz

King

1609-03-2222 March 1609 – 16 December 16721672-12-16 aged 63

20 November 1648

16 September 1668

Son of Sigismund III and Constance of Austria
Titular King of Sweden 1648-1660
Abdicated

Vasa

Michael I

Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki

King

1640-05-31May 31, 1640 – November 10, 16731673-11-10 aged 33

19 June 1669

10 November 1673

Son of a successful but controversial military commander, Jeremi Wiśniowiecki, and Gryzelda Konstancja Zamoyska

Wiśniowiecki

John III

Jan III Sobieski

King

1629-08-1717 August 1629 – 17 June 16961696-06-17 aged 66

21 May 1674

17 June 1696

Son of Jakub Sobieski and Zofia Teofillia Daniłowicz
Most famous for his brilliant victory over the Turks at the Battle of Vienna in 1683

Sobieski

Augustus II the Strong

August II Mocny

King

1670-05-1212 May 1670 – 1 February 17331733-02-01 aged 62

15 September 1697

16 February 1704 deposed
24 September 1706 abdicates

Son of John George III and Anna Sophie of Denmark
Elector of Saxony as Frederick Augustus I, 1694–1733

Wettin

Stanisław I

Stanisław I Leszczyński

King

1677-10-2020 October 1677 – 23 February 17661766-02-23 aged 88

4 October 1705

8 August 1709

Son of Rafał Leszczyński and Anna Jabłonowska
Yielded to Augustus II

Leszczyński

Augustus II the Strong

August II Mocny

King

1670-05-1212 May 1670 – 1 February 17331733-02-01 aged 62

8 August 1709

1 February 1733

Restored

Wettin

Stanisław I

Stanisław I Leszczyński

King

1677-10-2020 October 1677 – 23 February 17661766-02-23 aged 88

12 September 1733

30 June 1734
deposed
27 January 1736
abdicates

Restored
Defeated in War of the Polish Succession
Became Duke of Lorraine until his death

Leszczyński

Augustus III

August III Sas

King

17 October 1696 – 5 October 17631763-10-05 aged 66

17 January 1734
in opposition
30 June 1734
effectively

5 October 1763

Son of Augustus II and Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

Wettin

Stanisław II August

Stanisław August Poniatowski

King

1732-01-1717 January 1732 – 12 February 17981798-02-12 aged 66

25 November 1764

7 January 1795

Son of Stanisław Poniatowski and Konstancja Czartoryska
Forced to abdicate when the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth the Polish Republic since May 3, 1791 ceased to exist

Poniatowski

Duchy of Warsaw, 1807–1815

See also: Duchy of Warsaw

Name

Lifespan

Reign start

Reign end

Notes

Family

Image

Frederick Augustus I

Fryderyk August I

Duke

1750-12-2323 December 1750 – 5 May 18271827-05-05

9 June 1807

22 May 1815

Son of Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony and Duchess Maria Antonia of Bavaria
Duke of Warsaw

References

^ In the 17th century and later Poland was usually known as the Most Serene Republic of Poland Polish: Najjaśniejsza Rzeczpospolita Polska, Latin: Serenissima Res Publica Poloniae

^ dated around 700 by Marcin Bielski

^ Uncrowned - also considered titular King of Poland

^ Jadwiga was crowned King of Poland — Hedvig Rex Poloniæ, not Hedvig Regina Poloniæ Polish law had no provision for a female ruler queen regnant, but did not specify that the monarch had to be male The masculine gender of her title was also meant to emphasize that she was monarch in her own right, not a queen consort